With great excitement, “Taynemta”, a rescued Andean condor, arrived at Brigadier Mayor César Raúl Ojeda Airport to be transferred to the Wildlife Conservation Center (CCVS). This return, made possible through collaboration between the Provincial Government and the Andean Condor Conservation Program, represents a milestone in the protection of this emblematic species.
The bird, a female, was named “Taynemta”, which in Huarpe language means “life,” alluding to her strength and the struggle she faced since her rescue in 2023. That year, she got trapped in an antenna in Villa de Merlo, suffering serious injuries that led to the partial amputation of her wing. After undergoing surgery and receiving treatments at the Temaikén Foundation, the Andean condor managed to recover, although she won’t be able to fly again.
Despite her inability to reintegrate into her natural habitat, Taynemta will have a new home at the CCVS, where she will receive permanent care and play a key role in environmental education. The center already houses another Andean condor, a male that lost his sight and also cannot survive in the wild. The expectation is that both specimens can accompany each other, as this species needs to live in a community.
Taynemta’s return highlights the work of conservation and rescue of wild fauna, and her story will serve to raise awareness about the importance of protecting these birds, an ancestral symbol of the Andes.
Some characteristics of condors
The Andean condor is a large raptor bird, endemic and emblematic of South America, which, for many Andean cultures, symbolizes spirituality and power. Additionally, it is characterized by:
- Size: Can reach up to 1.20 m in length, 3 m in wingspan, and weigh 12 kg.
- Plumage: The body is black, and the tail is short and wide.
- Beak: The tip is cream-white, and the base is black.
- Legs: Are gray.
- Iris: Males have brown irises, and females have red ones.
- Crest: Males have a dark red caruncle crest.
- Soaring: Can reach great heights soaring on air currents, spreading the primary wings like fingers.
- Feeding: They are scavengers and feed on dead animals, such as seals, fish, or mammals.
- Reproduction: They use caves or similar protected sites to nest and incubate a single egg.
- Habitat: They live in mountainous terrain, open grasslands, and mountainous regions up to 5000 meters.
Do you already know our YouTube channel? Subscribe!
